On Pro Football: Texans-Titans becoming serious rivalry

It's about time the AFC South rivalry between the Texans and Titans heated up. Until now, the Titans didn't respect the Texans enough to trash talk them.

Now the Titans don't like the Texans. And the Texans don't like the Titans. Both claim the other takes cheap shots.

This is starting to remind me of the AFC Central.

On Thursday, the Titans launched broadsides from Nashville, and it will be interesting to see if the Texans come out swinging or shrink under the pressure of their first playoff race.

Because the Texans broke a seven-game losing streak in this series to win the last two 13-12 and 34-31, they have the Titans' attention. Now some Tennessee players are turning the screws from afar, trying to torture the Texans mentally before they invade our city.

In other words, they are trying to get inside the Texans' heads before the Monday Night Football game at Reliant Stadium that will be sent nationwide by ESPN.

Word games

First up is outside linebacker Keith Bulluck, a 10-year veteran who is the dean of the Titans' defense. Bulluck insulted the Texans after practice Thursday. He told reporters that when the team comes to Houston, he's looking forward to “destroying all playoff hopes and aspirations they have.”

“We owe them, and they know we owe them, and every time we play them, this is the biggest game of their season, or so they say,” Scaife said. “We owe them for two losses.”

Finally, running back Chris Johnson, the NFL's leading rusher and most exciting player, wasn't satisfied with his 197-yard rushing performance in the first game. He had touchdown runs of 91 and 57 yards, not to forget his 69-yard touchdown catch.

“I was kind of upset I didn't get 200 yards,” Johnson said. “I'm going to try and get that. I think I'm unstoppable.”